In The Blood is definitely my favorite James Reece thriller yet. Jack Carr steps outside the comfort zone to propel his protagonist to a whole other ballgame in the modern Thrillerverse.
James Reece’s personal vendetta against the infamous Syrian sniper, Nizar Kattan, finally brings the two bloodlust warriors together for a battle to the death. Reece’s enemies perpetrate a bold and terrifying act of terrorism to lure him out of America and into the sniper’s scope. However, Reece has some neat tricks up his sleeve. With the help of a top-secret Artificial Intelligence program, Reece brings out the big guns to hunt down his friend’s killer and avenge him. The path to vengeance is rarely as straightforward, and Jack Carr aptly explores this sentiment with proper attention.
In The Blood is one for action aficionados as Jack Carr packs more smooth shootouts and tense fisticuffs than in the previous installments of the James Reece series. High on technical tidbits about various weaponry, the writing is reminiscent of Tom Clancy’s masterful work that gelled detail-oriented storytelling with high octane action. Carr also places a strong emphasis on rounding out more fleshed and vivid characters to lead the swift action sequences with a heart and soul to fully cement readers’ emotional investments. Simply put, there is no shortage of Reece being a straight up beast in this one.
Jack Carr brings a fresh change of pace and narrative with the addition of an advanced artificial intelligence to aid Reece in his mission. With a healthy blend of practical AI progress and wishful thinking for the near future, Carr explains the technology with beautiful elegance that appeals to the brainy nerds as much as it does to the uninitiated. It is evident that this will become a bigger element in the next Reece thriller, especially with the unthinkable game-changing cliffhanger ending that no one will see coming.
I cannot wait to see where the story goes next. Jack Carr has officially put his hero in the most uncharted territory and if In The Blood is any indication, my expectations have skyrocketed exponentially. It matches up to The Terminal List with its action-heavy carnage and its ingenious twists and turns.
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